Starting with the 2019-20 fiscal year, some of Addison Township’s firefighters will start getting a small pay raise. The decision was made by the township board in a 7-0 vote.

Those receiving a 5 percent increase in pay are career firefighters and paramedics, the emergency medical services (EMS) coordinator and the office manager, who works as a full-time firefighter and paramedic. Addison Fire Chief Jerry Morawski will also receive a raise that increases his annual salary to $70,000.

“I’ve had contact with and sat down with the Fire Board, and we’ve gone through all of the different scenarios of all the different departments, and we brought the fire chief’s pay up to date,” said Supervisor Bruce Pearson.

Pearson said that because of unions and negotiations, first responders of all kinds often make more than their supervising officers. He said this vote will balance some of that out in the fire department.

“There comes a time when the firemen are sometimes making more than the commander. That’s happened in the sheriff’s department over the years (too). I’ve seen it,” he said. “There comes a time where you have to adjust a little bit so the person running the show is getting equal if not better than his own men are.”

Trustee Linda Gierak, who made the motion for the pay raises, thought it was a change that was overdue for Addison’s first responders.

“How come we waited so long? I thought this was done annually,” she said.